Method for admitting new connections based on measured quantities in a multiple access system for communications networks

Abstract

In a method for admitting new connections based on measured quantities in a wireless communications network having a base station and remote hosts, the base station measures and computes performance metrics to determine whether admission of the new connection could cause a failure to meet the Quality of Service (QoS) promised to already admitted connections. Only if the QoS can be maintained is the new connection is admitted. In one embodiment, the base station may optionally disconnect one or more already admitted lower priority connections if doing so will allow a higher priority new connection to be admitted without loss of QoS to the remaining already admitted connections. In one embodiment, each connection request specifies the average bit rate required and a traffic burstiness factor, the base station measures the number of bytes sent by each connection for a certain period of time and a burstiness factor for the traffic in either direction. The base station computes an equivalent number of admitted connections and determines whether the new equivalent number of admitted connections, after admission of the new connection, would exceed a threshold. The measured quantities can be various metrics related to interference. In one embodiment, uplink Frame Error Rate (FER), an average uplink bit rate, a burstiness factor of the uplink trafc, and a packet loss rate are measured at the base station. Downlink FER is similarly measured at each already admitted remote host and is sent to the base station. Alternatively, the average downlink bit rate, burstiness factor of downlink traffic, and packet loss rate may also be sent from each remote host to the base station. Considering the effect of the average rate and packet loss rate requested by a new connection and the computed equivalent bandwidth, the base station decides whether to admit the new connection based on whether the QoS of all admitted connections can be maintained.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for admitting a new connection to a base station based on measured quantities in a wireless communications network, said network having a base station and a plurality of remote hosts between which uplink and downlink packets flow, the method comprising steps, in combination, of: 
       measuring at said base station an uplink Frame Error Rate, an average uplink bit rate, a burstiness factor of uplink traffic, and an uplink packet loss rate for each of said remote hosts;  
       measuring at each of said remote hosts a downlink Frame Error Rate, an average downlink bit rate, a burstiness factor of the downlink traffic from the base station, and a downlink packet loss rate;  
       sending said downlink Frame Error Rate from each of said remote hosts to said base station;  
       computing at said base station an equivalent bandwidth for each remote host based on average and peak bit rates of said remote host, said burstiness factor of the traffic, and said packet loss rate of each remote host;  
       computing at said base station an equivalent number of allowable connections based on the total equivalent bandwidth for all of said remote hosts;  
       determining at said base station whether Quality of Service of all already admitted connections can be maintained even when said new connection is admitted; and  
       admitting said new connection only if said Quality of Service of said already admitted connections can be maintained or if at least one of said already admitted connections can be disconnected and replaced by said new connection without loss of said Quality of Service to all others of said already admitted connections.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of computing an equivalent number of connections includes the step of taking into account the effect of the average rate and packet loss rate requested by said new connection. 
     
     
       3. A method for admitting a new connection to a base station based on measured quantities in a wireless communications network, said network having a base station and a plurality of remote hosts between which uplink and downlink packets flow, the method comprising steps, in combination, of: 
       measuring at said base station for each of said remote hosts an uplink Frame Error Rate, a measured average uplink bit rate, a burstiness factor of uplink traffic, and an uplink packet loss rate;  
       measuring at each of said remote hosts a downlink Frame Error Rate, a measured average downlink bit rate, a burstiness factor of the downlink traffic from said base station, and a downlink packet loss rate;  
       sending from each of said remote hosts to said base station said downlink Frame Error Rate, said measured average downlink bit rate, said burstiness factor of the downlink traffic from said base station, and said downlink packet loss rate;  
       computing at said base station an equivalent bandwidth for each remote host based on average and peak bit rates of said remote host, said burstiness factors, and said packet loss rates;  
       computing at said base station an equivalent number of allowable connections based on the total equivalent bandwidth for all of said remote hosts;  
       determining at said base station whether Quality of Service of all already admitted connections can be maintained even when said new connection is admitted; and  
       admitting said new connection only if said Quality of Service of said already admitted connections can be maintained or if at least one of said already admitted connections can be disconnected and replaced by said new connection without loss of said Quality of Service to all others of said already admitted connections.  
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of computing an equivalent number of connections includes the step of taking into account the effect of the average rate and packet loss rate requested by said new connection. 
     
     
       5. A method for admitting a new connection to a base station based on measured quantities in a wireless communications network, said network having a base station and a plurality of remote hosts between which uplink and downlink packets flow, the method comprising steps, in combination, of: 
       measuring, at said base station, an uplink bit rate, a burstiness factor of uplink traffic, and an uplink packet loss rate for at least one of said remote hosts;  
       computing at said base station an equivalent bandwidth for said remote host based on average and peak bit rates of said remote host, said burstiness factor of the traffic, and said packet loss rate of said remote host;  
       computing an equivalent number of allowable connections based on the total equivalent bandwidth for all already admitted connections;  
       determining whether Quality of Service of all said already admitted connections can be maintained even when said new connection is admitted; and  
       admitting said new connection only if said Quality of Service of said already admitted ones of said remote hosts can be maintained or if at least one of said already admitted connections can be disconnected and replaced by said new connection without loss of said Quality of Service to all others of said already admitted connections.  
     
     
       6. A method for admitting a new connection to a base station based on measured quantities in a wireless communications network, said network having a base station and a plurality of remote hosts between which uplink and downlink packets flow, the method comprising steps, in combination, of: 
       measuring, at said base station, for at least one of said remote hosts, an uplink bit rate, a burstiness factor of uplink traffic, and an uplink packet loss rate;  
       receiving from at least one of said remote hosts at said base station a measured downlink bit rate, a measured burstiness factor of the downlink traffic from said base station, and a measured downlink packet loss rate;  
       computing at said base station an equivalent bandwidth for each remote host based on average and peak bit rates of said remote host and said base station, said burstiness factors, and said packet loss rates;  
       computing at said base station an equivalent number of allowable connections based on the total equivalent bandwidth for all already admitted connections;  
       determining at said base station whether Quality of Service of all said already admitted connections can be maintained even when said new connection is admitted; and  
       admitting said new connection only if said Quality of Service of all said already admitted connections can be maintained or if at least one of said already admitted connections can be disconnected and replaced by said new connection without loss of said Quality of Service to all others of said already admitted connections.